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Page 77 – Most triples play, season, league – AL, 10, 1979
Thanks to the excellent work of Chuck Rosciam and Frank Hamilton details of every triple play in the history of the major leagues is available from Retrosheet.
So here are the details of the 1979 triple plays, the triple playingest year of them all in the AL. The NL has never had more than seven in any one season and that hasn't happened since 1929. Perhaps they have faster runners or they hit fewer line drives in the NL. But I'm chalking it up to chance.
Both Boston and Oakland turned three triple plays, tying the major league record. The Red Sox finished with a 91-69 record, but the Athletics finished with a 54-108 record. The Blue Jays turned two triple plays and they finished 53-109. The Angels hit into three triple plays and won the AL West. The Orioles hit into a triple play and also turned a triple play and won the pennant. And the Pirates, who hit into the lone triple play in the NL, won the World Series.
All of this proves that the correlation between triple plays and anything else in baseball is pretty much nonexistent. They are out of the ordinary, but not always extraordinary.
Sources: Retrosheet, Los Angeles Times, and Sporting News Complete Baseball Record Book.
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